As lockdown restrictions lift, shops start opening and the new normal becomes another new normal are you feeling overwhelmed and anxious?
Anxiety coming out of lockdown feels very similar to how we felt going into this and let me tell you this is a completely normal response. When we enter into any change we tend to follow a pattern of feelings CONFUSION ➢ FEAR ➢ ANGER ➢ SADNESS ➢ FRUSTRATION these are the first 5 stages of change but then we come into what we do best as Humans ACCEPTANCE ➢ OPTIMISM Does this sound familiar to how you have felt in the last few months?
So now you know that this is a normal Human response i’m going to give you some top tips on how to navigate this and reduce your anxious thoughts
– Acknowledge that the majority of people are feeling this way and your feeling are valid. Have a good cry if you need to and release the tension that has been created
-Write down all your fears and concerns. By taking them our of your head and the physical act of writing them down helps you to remove yourself emotionally from those thoughts so you can get perspective
– What can you do to alleviate some of these concerns, can you write out a new structure/ routine that will support the changes? If you have concerns around returning to work then arrange a call with your manager to discuss. There’s a lot of support out there for businesses and employees to help them to return to work safely. You will also find information on the governments website for covid 19 secure working guidelines
– Reflect on what you have implemented during lockdown that you would like to try and keep going, you may have started an exercise regime or weekly quiz calls with friends. Don’t underestimate these coping strategies as these could be the link to an easy transition
– Remind yourself that you actually adapt well to change. Once we have the information and we know what we are dealing with then we naturally start to plan and prepare. Make sure you have all the information you need to adapt to accordingly
